“Social Engineering – The art of replacing what works with what sounds good,” said Thomas Sowell, an American economist, and social philosopher.
An example of his words is the now-popular woke culture in the West. At first glance, all initiatives to “improve society” seem to be motivated by compassion. They appeal to those with a caring heart. Unfortunately, each attempt either ends up going nowhere or destroys the little that has served as a foundation for society.
Elevated to the rank of absolute, any good idea becomes pathological, transforming into its opposite—evil. This happens every time an idea (concept, law) overshadows a living person. “People don’t have ideas. Ideas have people,” wisely noted Carl Jung.
A vivid illustration of this is found in the Bible. Christ repeatedly admonishes the Pharisees: “The Sabbath is for man, not man for the Sabbath” or “Which one of you, having one sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out?”
In business, the substitution of what works with what sounds good happens every time a company indulges in a period of rapid growth. Drunk on success, founders suddenly get captivated by ideas like “Making employees happy” and “Improving the world.” For this: - The HR department is expanded, - Training with benevolent names is conducted, - And new KPIs are introduced, leaving the team confused.
It’s hard not to notice the suicidal nature of this step. Whether it’s society, a company, or an individual, at the peak of prosperity, they suddenly begin to self-destruct. Perhaps that’s why many wisemen agree that true life is not about hedonism but asceticism. So it’s easier to truly be, not just seem.
Sincerely yours,
-Alexander
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